Tone-regulator for piano-playing attachments.



E. T. TURNEY.

TONE REGULATOR FOR PIANO PLAYING ATTACHMENTS.

APPLIOA'I'ION FILED FEB. 28, 1908.

1,033,129. Patented July 23, 1912.

sensitive UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE T. TURNEY, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ARTISTA PIANOPLAYER COMPANY, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TONE-REGULATOR- EOB PIANO-PLAYING ATTACHMENTS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE T. TURNEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rock Island, in the county of Rock Island and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ToneRegulators for Piano-Playin Attachments, of which the following is aspecification.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in tone regulators for pianoplaying attachments, in which'is employed a plurality of pneumaticactions having communication with air ducts or channels, which latterare adapted to be exhausted to operate the pneumatics, and the primaryobject of the invention is to provide an improved device of thischaracter in which the air ducts or channels have communication with theout side air whereby they may be supplied with air to control the actionof the pneumatics.

A further object is to provide an improved flexible valve forcontrolling the supply of outside air, which olfers no mechanicalresistance or friction, whereby a very valve is obtained, which willquickly respond to the touch of the operator, and improved means foroperating the valve.

A further object is to provide improved means located within the casingof the instrument for operating the valve including a detachable keylocated on the outside of the casing, and an improved indicator for theoperating mechanism.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new andus'efulobjects, as will appear, the invention consists in the featuresof novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of theseveral parts hereinafter -more fully described and claimed and shown inthe accompanying drawing illustrating an exemplification of theinvention and in which Figure 1 is a detail, perspectiveview of animproved device of this character constructed in accordance with theprinciples of this invent-ion. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of theair duct or channel showing this improved valve attached thereto. Fig. 3is a detail sectional view of a portion of the operating mechanismandthe detachable key. I

Referrlng more particularly to the drawing and 1n the presentexemplification of the invention, the numeral 10 designates-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 28, 1908.

Patented July 23,1912.

Serial No. 418,364.

suitable airducts or channels which have communication with each otherthrough a chamber 11 and these channels may be ex hausted through thechamber 11 by means of a tubular member 12 which is connected with asuitable exhaust chamber or chest and supported by these air ducts orchannels 10 and communicating therewith are pneumatic actions 13, whichhave communication with the tracker board of the instrument (not shown)by means of flexible tubular connections 14 so that when an opening inthe record passes over the apertures in the tracker board in the usualmanner, the respective pneumatics will be operated by the suctioncreated in the air ducts or channels 10 in the manner as set forth in myapplication for patent Serial No. 331,740 filed in the United StatesPatent Office August 28, 1906, and of which application the abovementioned parts form the subject matter.

()ne of the air ducts or channels 10 is provided'with an aperture 15which opens to the outside air by means of which the outside air may besucked into the channel 10 by means of the exhaust mechanism to supply asufficient amount of air to the channel to prevent the suction fromoperating the pneumatics to their full extent, thereby regulating theforce of the respective piano action which is controlled by thepneumatics 13.

Any suitable means may be provided for controlling the aperture 15 sothat when the aperture is entirely closed, the entire force of thesuction within the air ducts or channels 10 will act upon the pneumaticsand thereby cause the respective piano actions to sound the notes with afull volume and this volume may be regulated by means of the actions ofthe pneumatics 13, which is accomplished by means of the closure for theaperture 15. iVhen it is desired to regulate the tone, the aperture 15may be partially opened to permit a small volume of the outside air toenter the air duct or channel 1.0 and thereby prevent the full action ofthe pneumatics under the influence of the suction, and the actions ofthese pneumatics may-be further regulated by varying the size of theopening 15.

The valve for controlling the aperture 15 comprises a suitable flexiblemember 16, such as leather or the like, one extremity 17 of which issecured to the air duct or channel 10 and the other extremity 18 ofwhich is free. The valve is of a width somewhat greater than the widthof the opening 15 and is of a length considerably greater than thelength of the opening 15 so that when the extremity 17 is secured inposition as shown clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the body portion 16of the valve will extend across and cover the aperture 15 and the freeextremity 18 thereof may be bent back upon itself, as shown, so thatwhen the free extremity 1.8 is moved toward or away from the extremity17, the body portion of the valve 16 will be rolled upon itself to coveror uncover the aperture 15 according to the direction of movement of thefree extremity 18 with respect to the extremity 17.

Any suitable means may be provided for imparting this movement; to thevalve. A suitable and ellicient means for accomplishing this purposecomprises an arm or lever 19 which is pivotally connected between itsends, as at 20, to any suitable support, such for instance as thechamber 11, and secured to one extremity of the lever below the pivotpoint thereof is an arm or member 21 which extends across and in closeproximity to the valve 16 and is held in position by means of a suitablesupport or guide 22. This arm or member 21 stands in close proximity tothe face of the air duct or channel 10 and the valve 16 and the freeextremity 18 of the valve is secured to the arm or member in any desiredor suitable manner, such as by means of a screw or fastening device 23in such a manner that when the valve 16 is extended to entirely closethe aperture 15, the extremity 18 will be bent back with rela tion tothe body of the valve, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1. of the drawing.

hen the arm or lever 19 is rocked about its point of pivotal support,the arm or lever 21 will be moved in the guide 22 and will adjust thefree end of the valve 16 to uncover or cover the aperture 15 accordingto the direct-ion of movement of the arm 19 about its pivot, and whenthe valve 16 is adjusted to entirely close the aperture 15, the suctionin the air duct or channel 10 will hold the valve seated and the valvebeing imperforate will prevent the entrance of the outside air. Ifdesired, the aperture 15 may be covered with a suitable reticulatedmaterial 24, such as wire gauze or the like, to prevent the entrance ofany foreign matter, such as dust and the like, into the air duct orchannel when the valve is unseated.

Any suitable means may be provided for adjusting the valve to regulatethe opening 15, which will be under the control of the operator. Asuitable and efficient means for accomplishing this purpose comprises arock shaft 25 which is pivotally connected at one extremity to the armor lever 19 on one side of its pivot and pivotally connected to theother extremity of the rock shaft is a member 26 which is slidinglymounted upon a suitable support within the casing 27 of the instrument,and connected to the free extremity thereof is a crank arm 28 which isprovided with a suitable trunnion 29 pivoted to a suitable member 30within the piano casing and about which pivot the crank arm 28 isadapted to be rocked, and when so rocked, the member 26 will be adjustedto rock the shaft 25 and operate the valve 16 through the medium of thelever 19 and the arm 21 in the manner as already set forth.

Any suitable means may be provided for rocking the crank arm 28 but thepreferred means comprises a key 31 which is adapted to extend through asuitable socket in the face of the casing 27 and enter a suitable recessor socket 33 in the crank arm 28. The extremity of the key 31 may beprovided with suitable lateral projections 31, which also enter therecess 33 in the crank arm, so that when the key 31 is rocked about itspoint of pivotal support, which is formed by the portion thereofextending through the socket 32 in the casing, the crank arm 28 will berocked in either direction according to the direction of movement of thekey 31. The key 31 is detachable and, when the attachment is not in use,is adapted to be removed so that there will be no parts projectingbeyond the face of the instrument, but when it is desired to use theattachment the key may be readily inserted. Furthermore, by providing adetachable key for this mechanism all unauthorized manipulation of theattachment may be avoided and the danger of breaking the mechanism willalso be avoided.

Supported by the instrument and within the casing thereof is a suitablegage 35 which arranged in sight of the operator and preferably supportedby the record supporting frame 36 and connected to the free extremity ofthe arm or lever 19 is an arm 37, which extends through a suitableaperture 38 in the record supporting frame 36 where by the arm may beproperly guided and ter minates in the rear of the gage 35. Sup-- portedby the free extremity of this arm 37 is an index or pointer 39 which isadapted to extend over the top of the gage 35 and terminate adjacent thefront face thereof in full view of the operator, so that when the key 31is operated to vary the size of the aperture 15 in the air duct orchannel, the index or pointer 39 will be correspondingly moved withrelation to the 35 for indicating to the operator the exact position ofthe valve 16 and the size of the aperture 15 and by adjusting the key 31the operator may be enabled to regulate the size of the opening 15 bymeans of the index 39 and the gage 35.

With this improved construction there is produced an improved flexiblevalve for controlling the supply of the outside air, and one which willbe very sensitive to the touch of the operator whereby the valve may bequickly adjusted at the will of the operator to vary the tone of theinstrument.

In order that the invention might be fully understood by those skilledin the art, the details of the foregoing embodiment thereof have beenthus specifically described, but

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A toneregulator including in combination a suction duct having an opening tothe outside air, a valve constructed of elastic material extendingacross the opening to close the same, one end of the valve being securedadjacent the opening, the free end being bent back upon'the body of thevalve and toward the stationary end thereof, a movable member having anextended fiat face supported adjacent the valve and projecting beyondboth ends of the valve, a guide for the member adjacent the stationaryend of the valve, means for securing the free end of the valve to themember intermediate the ends of the latter, and means for moving themember in its guide to move the free end of the valve toward and awayfrom the stationary end to fold and unfold the valve to vary the size ofthe opening, the body of said valve having an extended and continuousengagement with and resting flat against the face of the said member asthe valve is folded and unfolded during the movement of the said member,the distance between the said movable member and the valve seat being sosmall that the movable member exerts pressure on the valve seat throughthe bent portion of the valve.

2. A tone regulator including in combination a suction duct having anopening to the outside air, a screen covering said opening, a valveconstructed of elastic material extending across the opening to closethe same and resting against the screen, one end of the valve beingsecured adjacent the opening, the free end being bent upon the body ofthe valve and toward the stationary end thereof, a movable member havingan extended flat face supported adjacent the valve and projectingbeyondiboth ends of the valve, a guide for the member adjacent thestationary end of the valve, means for securing the free end of thevalve to the member intermediate the ends of the latter, and means formoving the member in its guide to move the free end of the valve towardand away from the stationary end to fold and unfold the valve to varythe size of the said opening, said valve having an extended continuousengagement with and resting flat against the face of said member as itis folded and unfolded during the movement of the said member, thedistance between the movable member and the valve seat being so smallthat the movable member ex erts pressure on the valve seat through thebent portion of the valve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 30th day of December A.D. 1907.

EUGENE 'r. TURNEY.

Witnesses:

J. H. JocHUM, Jr., M. W. CANTWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

